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PRIME Minister Peter O’Neill has ordered that the security call-out in Hela be expanded to address the unrest in Enga and Southern Highlands.

The call-out is allowed under the existing order for Hela, he said in a statement.
“Our patience has ended with troublemakers in both Enga and Southern Highlands,” O’Neill said.

“The call-out will enable defence and police personnel to work together to maintain order.

“There will be zero-tolerance for any further interruptions to law and order, and community safety.

“The behaviour we are witnessing by small groups is totally unacceptable and is impacting on the lives of men, women and children in these areas.”

O’Neill warned people seeking to cause disruptions that they would be arrested by the disciplined forces and tried for criminal acts.

He said the situation was so different to the relative calm experienced during the recent general election in the Highlands.

“Throughout the campaigning and voting periods, we saw a big change in attitude in these areas,” O’Neill said.

“It is disappointing that towards the end of counting, we are seeing this unruly behaviour. I call on community leaders to work with the disciplined forces, and help to prevent anti-social behaviour in your areas.”

The call-out for Hela early this year was to address the issue of illegal guns and tribal fights before the election process began.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Authority chief executive officer Chris Hawkins said one of the most important elements about planning any Apec meeting is ensuring that its security is right.
Hawkins told a press conference in Port Moresby yesterday that partnership was vital in delivering such important meetings.

“One thing is, of course, to have the venue set and the meeting rooms but if we don’t have the security safety plan in place then we can’t have a successful meeting,” he said.
“We are working with our partners from around the region and it’s very important that we do so because you never do Apec alone. You need to do that in partnership.

“We’ve had great support from our friends in Australia, New Zealand, the United States, Canada and Indonesia and we really appreciate that.”

Hawkins said that the first of many Apec meetings is just over a month away and there would be up to 200 meetings between October this year and Nov next year.
Hawkins said the first was a transportation minister’s meeting in October.
“That meeting will take place in Port Moresby and in Alotau, so we will have delegates and ministers going around the country,” he said.

“We will have regional meeting components so we will take Apec delegates and ministers right around the country so they get to see so much of the country.”

In terms of preparations, Hawkins said in Port Moresby the ApecHouse was ahead of schedule.

“The Apec House is couple of weeks ahead of schedule and we are looking forward to the first meeting in October.”

***Port Moresby General Hospital Doctor Beaten by Police***

A medical doctor doing his residency at the Port Moresby General Hospital Labour ward was beaten by Policemen on Wednesday night.

The young doctor will not be assisting mothers and babies in the Labour ward, because his eyes are completely shut and he has become partially deaf as a result of the beating.

Senior doctors say there is a shortage of doctors working with mothers and babies. Dr. Berry Newman’s inability to work will cause complications at the Labour ward.

This morning Professor Ikau Kevau, Dr. Osborne Liko and other senior doctors condemned the beating of the young medical officer.

The doctors collectively demanded action from the Police Commissioner and his deputies.

They’ve made the call after one of their own was badly beaten by cops in Tokarara.

“I dropped my sister and was turning back to Tokarara, they approached me when I stopped to change my tyres, they said I dropped off criminals and six of them punched and one kicked me on the right side of my ear,” said Dr. Newman.

Dr. Newman is now nursing serious injuries which will stop him from working at the Labour Ward.

He is part of a team of young doctors being trained to save the lives of mothers and babies.

But after the beating, he is deaf in the left ear and his eyes are completely shut. The injuries could become permanent.

“My right ear is not working anymore, I cannot see anymore. I don’t know why i was beaten up, I chose this career path to serve the people of this country,” the Labour ward trainee says.

Dr. Newman told EMTV News that he was taken to Waigani Police station where a policeman told him he could pick up his car in the morning after he pays the boys.

” They told me to go wash my face and treat myself, and then bring some money [so that] I can get my car,” Newman said.

Senior doctors at Port Moresby General Hospital say the matter will not be taken lightly. It will be taken to the Police Commissioner for the matter to be addressed.

Doctors are respected in the society for their services to health. The incident has brought disgrace to the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

Members of the public have gone on social media outraged by the actions of a few policemen tarnishing the reputation of the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary.

Members of the disciplinary forces must demonstrate maturity when dealing with domestic issues, a judge of the National Court said.

“Assaulting wives and partners is a sign of sick and weak intellect and far too many soldiers and members of the disciplined force are doing that to their wives and partners.”

Justice Panuel Mogish of the Waigani National Court today made these remarks when delivering his decision on a sentence against a soldier with a 20 year service record.

He said soldiers who assault their wives and partners are a disgrace to the uniform they wear and should be dismissed as a matter of urgency to protect the integrity of the army.

“You abused your training when you assaulted your wife. You treated her like an enemy and applied brutal force to attack her, leaving her with fractures to her arms and legs,” he told George Hanio in court.

“What you did to your wife is disgraceful but is common among serving members of the disciplined force.

“Disciplined soldiers are trained to show restraint in volatile situation in war time. The application of force must be appropriate and relevant to the prevailing circumstances,” he added when sentencing Hanio to three years in jail.

That sentence was suspended and he was put on two years good behavior bond. He had initially assaulted his wife because she was having an affair and slept out of the matrimonial home.

They have since reconciled since he paid a compensation of K4000 to the woman.

Papua New Guinea Defence Force soldiers based at the Lombrum Naval Base on Manus Island went on a rampage at the asylum detention centre on Good Friday firing several shots into the air and indiscriminately assaulting policemen, PNG Immigration Officers, other service providers and asylum seekers. The incident occurred on Friday April 14 at about 6.30pm at the Manus Regional processing centre.

Manus Provincial Police Commander Senior Inspector David Lapu said a group of drunken soldiers in retaliation for one of their colleague who was allegedly assaulted by an asylum seeker entered the centre shouting and throwing any objects that they could lay their hands on at the asylum seekers.

He said the soldiers also assaulted his policemen on deployment at the centre, PNG immigration officers, other service providers and damaged several vehicles and properties worth thousands of kina.

PPC Yapu said the soldiers removed keys from a hired car his officers were using at the centre and drove away and also damaged it. PPC Yapu said the Commanding officer of the Naval Base, Mr Begsy Karaki intervened and stopped the incident from getting out of hand.

A senior PNG immigration officer and an asylum seeker were treated at the international health medical service at the centre and discharged. PPC Yapu is concerned about such unethical and unacceptable behaviour of the drunken soldiers.

He said only a day ago the PNG Defence Force Chief of Staff Colonel Numa addressed the Commanders parade and made some good comments to the solders to maintain high level of disciple, professionalism and leadership.

However this message had gone to deaf ears and the soldiers showed disrespect to the international and local community at the centre PPC Yapu said.

Mr Yapu has set up an investigation team to investigate the incident and deal with the perpetrators.

“I will leave no stones unturned. Someone will answer for what happened,” said PPC Yapu. The commanding officer has already commenced his own investigation into the incident. The situation at the centre is quite but tense.

Commissioner of Police Gari Baki said the reintroduction of the Joint Forces College was a step in the right direction for the three disciplinary forces.

Commissioner Baki made this comment when he farewelled a total of 15 police officer cadets at a dinner at the Police Officers Mess at the Bomana Training College last week.

Commissioner Baki said, “I can attest to the fact that many police officers who joined the Constabulary and were a part of the JSC program, were closely acquainted with their counterparts from the other two disciplinary forces.

“I came from the old school and we operated differently because the JSC in my time provided the leeway for my fellow officers to acquaint themselves professionally with our colleagues from the other disciplined services.

“We enjoyed the feeling of esprit-de-corp and camaraderie and shared many issues together concerning our career and more importantly our country’s national security issues,” Commissioner Baki said.

He said today, that mutual trust and understanding amongst the officers of the three disciplinary forces is absent because those who joined after the abolishment of the JSC were not trained together.

“I can confidently announce that the JSC is a place where leaders are produced, because I went there and I am now serving my second term as Commissioner of Police. In fact nearly all of my squad mates at the JSC have become CS of Police Commissioners while few others have come as far as Assistant Commissioner or were elevated to the rank of Deputy Commissioner. Others became Commanders in in the PNGDC because they acquired a wealth of skills and knowledge from this highly commendable concept.

He said JSC is a viable initiative because officers of the three disciplinary forces were able to relate well and understand each other especially in times of major joint security operations.
The JSC was purposely set up to train, nurture and groom ambitious young men and turn them into professional officers and to promote a general sense of unity among the three disciplinary forces.

Commissioner Baki said as a sovereign nation, Papua New Guinea will continue to co-exist and trade in the global arena but the country cannot efficiently venture into the economic pathway, unless there is absolute stability in terms of national security.

He said that stability can only be enjoyed or achieved if our disciplinary forces are operating on the same wave length.

He told the new cadets that as commissioner he expected them to reopen that pathway so they can reconnect themselves with the other counterparts from the military and correctional services and foster a better relationship orientated on mutual trust and understanding

“Our relationship at the professional front is absolutely essential and therefore it is imperative for police, military and correctional officers to share common bonds in all aspects of their operability for the benefit of our national security.”

The 15 cadets have been flown to Lae on Sunday and were taken to Igam Barracks. They will undergo 18 months of rigorous physical training and they will also be exposed to the military culture.

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AIRPORT security at Port Moresby Jackson International Airport and other major centres have world standard closed circuit TV systems which cover the whole aerodrome perimeter, the National Airports Corporation (NAC) says.

It says there were more than 200 CCTV cameras installed at Jackson International Airport including the domestic terminal with high speed pan tilt zoom (PTZ) and fixed dome (FD) CCTV systems both indoor and outdoor.

The NAC said it also had programs in place to improve police presence and general security surveillance.

NAC executives said that the organisation was also planning to install another worldclass system that would not only provide security, safety and convenience for passengers and car park customers, but also generate revenue that was necessary for the sustenance of its airport facilities.

“In addition to CCTV surveillance at the Port Moresby International airport (PMIA) car parks, NAC will also provide covered walkways for car park users and secure gated parking for travellers who wish to leave their vehicles at the airport overnight or for long term,” the NAC said. “Customers will be able to pay for parking using their credit cards as well as book a parking slot online through the new PMIA website when the system comes into operation in the future.”

NAC chief executive officer Richard Yopo said the NAB board will release a statement later today on NAC operations.

“We are renovating a new office space for the police and the AFP.

“We will continue to support the airport police and continue to resource them,” he said.

“There are some projects that are running now and those are aimed at improving security surveillance and awareness and random security checks at the airport public car parks and road access around the airport precinct, reclaiming land alienated from the airport, removal of illegal settlers among other initiatives.

This was due to statements from the Opposition, other critics and the public that PNG’s international gateway was not fully serviced to cater for terrorism and security threats from outsiders and within.